Brooder



S. M. BERINGER July 31, 195] BROODER Filed Nov 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

July 31, 1951 s. M. BERINGER BROODER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18, 1946 July 31, 1951 s. M. BERINGER 'BROODER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 18, 1946 INVENTOR.

suitable braces l8.

Patented July 31, 1951 BRQODER Sarah M. Beringer, Dayton, Ohio Application November 18, 1946, Serial No. 710,611

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a brooder and more particularly to a brooder of the multiple type, although not necessarily so limited.

An object of this invention is to provide a brooder for chicks or other young birds wherein the birds are enclosed in a rat-proof compartment wherein maybe found'feed and water so arranged that the chicks cannot spill the feed and water upon the surrounding floor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a heater unit wherein the heater element may be .raised or lowered to satisfy conditions.

taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is another perspective, enlarged and fragmentary, cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view looking up into the heater substantially in the direction of the arrow 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an enlarged-fragmentary, perspective view, partly in section, substantially on the line"7-1 of Figure 2.

As may best be seen by referring to Figure 1, a plurality of rodent-proof brooder units It stacked one upon the other form a battery of brooders. The uppermost one of these brooders is provided with a cover 1 2 and the lowest one is mounted upon a base It that may be made from anglebars formed into rectangular shape, so as to provide a periphery and a plurality of corner posts It, one for each corner, held in position by The posts It are each provided with a conventional socket for a caster 20.

In Figure 2 one brooder unit It has been shown in perspective as it appears when removed from the battery. This brooder unit includes side panel members secured together by suitable plates 32 in the center of the brooder unit. The ends of the panel members 30 are riveted or otherwise secured to the angle bar corner post 34, there being one such corner post in each corner. The ends are provided with identical panel members 39, secured to the corner post 34. Each of these panel members 39 is provided with an inwardly directed flange 413 along the top thereof and an inwardly directed channel 42 along the bottom thereof, as may best be seen by Figure 3. The inwardly directed flanges 42 of the panel members cooperate to form a support for a screen floor 5 3 having the margin secured between a pair of strips 52 and 54 secured together in any suitable manner, as by riveting, welding, bolts or otherwise. The strips 52 are loosely laid upon the flanges 42 and are mounted for removal'for the purpose of cleaning, if so desired.

Each of the panels 30 is provided with a, large window opening, closed by a removably mounted screen member 6!]. The screen member 60, as may be best seen by referring to Figure 4, consists of a woven screen wire mesh member 62 having the margins clamped between the strips 64 and 66. The strip $6 is wider than the strip 64. This is to allow member 64 to slip into the opening and rest upon the top margin of the window opening in the panel 30, as may be best seen by referring to Figure 4, the strip member 66 overlapping the margins of the opening. These screen members are removably mounted in position and are held in closed position by a plurality of lugs or latches l0 seated upon suitable studs 72, spring-urged by a compression spring 74- abutting a collar 76 seated against the panel member 39 and fixedly attached to the stud 72 and clamped in position by the nut 18. The panel members 30 are also provided with feed trough openings for the feed troughs 80, which will now be described.

As may be best seen by referring to Figure 7, the feed trough 89 is provided with a front wall 82, a bottom 86, a rear wall 88 and end members 90. The rear wall 83 is provided with a bevelled flange portion 92 that eliminates a sharp edge and helps to deter the spilling of feed. The ends are each provided with a recess or notch 94 adjacent an extension 96 located on the outside of the panel member 30. This permits the tilting of the feed trough outwardly into the dotted position shown in Figure 7, which permits the trough to be replenished with feed or water. Furthermore, the feed trough may be removed by lifting the feed trough upwardly from the full line position shown in Figure 7, so as to cause the panel member 30 to clear the edges of the recess 94, at which time the feed trough may be moved outwardly bodily to permit the feed trough to be emptied, cleaned, washed or sterilized, as the case may be.

Chicks always try to get into the feed troughs. In order to prevent the chicks from doing so, a wire mesh member I I0, having one portion diagonally disposed from the trough and another portion II2 vertically disposed, is held in position by a pair of spaced collars I I4 and H6, held together by a bolt II8, secured to the angle corner post 34 and locked in position by a nut II9. A strip clip member I22 is used in holding the end of one of the strands of member I I in position. The wire mesh member I I0 prevents the chickens from escaping through the opening 19 when the feed trough has been removed.

The corner posts 34 have been notched at I20, which notches cooperate with a pair of channel members I22 to provide races or guides for the dropping trays I24. The dropping trays I24, as may best be seen by referring to Figure 3, include a main body member provided with lateral flanges I26 seated adjacent the channel members I22, having the upward flange deflected downwardly at I28 within the brooder. These trays I24 may be removed, so as remove the droppings. The length of the trays I24 has been selected so as to underlie the entire width of the aperture. By this arrangement, the trays are removed from one side of the brooder only. If found desirable, a common lever may be provided for partially removing all of the trays simultaneously, to thereby save time.

An electric heater I40 may be mounted within each of the brooder sections. This electric heater is preferably suspended from a pair of rods I42 extending transversely across the top of each brooder section, which rods are mounted for rotation. A suitable cord, rope, cable or flexible member I44, having a loop attached to a suitable pin I46 in the rod I 42 and the ends attached to the heater element, is used in suspending the heater element. By rotating the rods I42, the height of the heater element may be adjusted. For example, when the chicks are small, it may be desirable to lower the heater element to permit the chicks to hover under the heater element. As the chicks grow, the heater element may be raised.

As may best be seen by referring to Figure 6, the heater element I40 is provided with a plurality of electric coil heaters I50 mounted upon a suitable insulating strip I52 and protected from contact with the chicks by a screen I54 underlying the heater elements I50. Furthermore, a socket I60, adapted for the reception of an electric light bulb is mounted in one end of member I40, so as to provide light. By this arrangement, a heater element, easily constructed and easily adjusted, is provided to supply the necessary heat for the chicks. Furthermore, as the chicks grow and require less intense heat, the heater element is raised, thereby allowing more room for the chicks, allowing the heat to be radiated over a larger area, so as to permit the chicks to spread more widely.

The several brooder sections may be nestled on top of each other, so as to provide a compact battery of brooders. Each one of the brooders is made accessible by removing the screen panels 60, normally held in closed position by the latches 10. The panels 60 are located on both sides and both ends of the brooder, so that the attendant may reach into the brooder from any desirable position.

Furthermore, the feed troughs may be tilted by removing the latches engaging the top of the feed troughs and then grabbing the handles I'll, there being two for each of the feed troughs. The troughs extend throughout the entire periphery of each brooder, so as to provide ample feeding space.

The feed troughs I0, simulating drawers, instead of being mounted for tilting movement and removable, as shown, may be mounted for sliding movement in a horizontal direction upon suitable guides, so as to permit filling thereof by merely pulling the troughs outwardly, then filling the troughs with feed, water, et cetera, at which time the troughs may be pushed back into position to close the opening and to supply feed to the chicks.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a rodent-proof battery of brooders nestled one on top of the other, each of said brooders including at least two openings one above the other, the combination including a plurality of feed troughs each having a feeding position and a feed supplying position, each of said troughs being formed from a sheet of metal having an inner wall portion, a bottom portion and an outer wall portion forming a panel for closing the lower opening when the trough is in feeding position, and a pair of end members to close the ends of the trough, said end members having notches formed therein, said notches being positioned in close proximity to the outer wall portion of the sheet of metal, an extension on the end members, said extension extending downwardly and outwardly from the notch, said notch cooperating with the edge of the lower opening to form a pivotal mounting for the trough permitting the trough to be oscillated about the pivot from feeding position to feed supplying position and vice versa, the extension engaging the outer wall to support the feed trough in feed supplying position.

SARAH M. BERINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 243,627 Rutz June 28, 1881 347,081 Beach Aug. 10, 1886 601,132 Eshleman Mar. 22, 1898 695,073 McGowan Mar. 11, 1902 1,540,393 Haack June 2, 1925 1,919,884:- Getz July 25, 1933 1,974,867 Hawkins July 25, 1934 2,007,917 McGrew July 9, 1935 2,174,004 Markey Sept. 26, 1939 2,325,198 Willett et al July 27, 1943 2,328,209 Giguere Aug. 31, 1943 2,358,081 Marick Sept. 12, 1944 

